Hidalgo County, Texas · Edinburg
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Hidalgo County averages 0 nights a year at 20°F or colder, mostly midwinter, and 4% of its homes predate 1960.
May brings the most downpours to Hidalgo County, part of 6.5 heavy-rain days a year. Check the sump first.
4% of homes here predate 1960, when clay and cast iron sewer laterals were standard. Roots and cracks in those lines are a common cause of backups.
Hidalgo County's wettest day in the 2015–2024 record brought 6.22 inches.
3% of occupied homes in Hidalgo County heat mainly with wood or propane, below the Texas county median of 6.5%.
About 220 nights a year here stay at 65°F or warmer, so basements and crawl spaces can grow mold even without a leak.
Local risk profile
About 891,977 people live in Hidalgo County, 1,571 square miles in southern Texas, in roughly 308,556 homes. The county seat is Edinburg, and McAllen, Mission and Pharr round out the largest towns. Much of its housing is recent, with a median build year of 2000.
28/100 Water Damage Risk Index: Moderate Hidalgo County ranks 227 of 232 Texas counties. See the statewide ranking and method.The three factors where Hidalgo County ranks highest compared with other Texas counties.
Winters here are on the gentler end for Texas, and pipes still freeze. From 2015–2024 it averaged 0 nights a year at 20°F or colder, the range where pipes in exterior walls, crawl spaces and unheated garages freeze, and 2 nights at or below 32°F. That ranks 205th of 232 counties.
Hard freezes are uncommon here, about 2 nights a year at or below 32°F, and that's exactly why they do damage: pipes in attics, exterior walls and slab-edge plumbing are rarely insulated. The coldest night in the record was about 21°F on February 16, 2021.
Rainfall is about average for Texas. About 6.5 days a year bring an inch or more (136th of 232), most often in May, out of 26 inches of total precipitation. On July 26, 2020, 6.22 inches fell in a single day. The worst three-day stretch dropped 9.87 inches, ending June 22, 2018, the kind of soaking that overwhelms sump pumps and storm sewers.
Housing
Texas's 232 counties range widely in housing age; Hidalgo ranks 221st, with 18% of its homes built before 1980.
Growth since 2000 added 49% of today's homes. In houses that new, the weak points are washing machine hoses, ice maker lines, water heaters and sump pumps rather than the pipes in the walls.
About 33% of homes went up between 1980 and 1999. Some houses from the late 1970s to the mid-1990s were plumbed with polybutylene, a gray plastic pipe known for failing at fittings. A plumber can tell you in a few minutes whether you have it.
Manufactured and mobile homes make up 14% of the housing here. Water lines in the underbelly depend on intact skirting and working heat tape, and they're usually the first to freeze in a cold snap.
Renters occupy 33% of homes. If you rent, the building is usually the landlord's to repair, but your belongings are only covered by renters insurance.
Beyond water
Summer nights that don't drop below 65°F, a good marker of humid air, come about 220 times a year here, above the Texas county median of 129. Mold grows when indoor humidity stays above about 60%, the EPA's ceiling. A basement dehumidifier set to 50% and drying anything wet within 24 to 48 hours prevents most problems.
Mold remediation: what to expectBy main heating fuel, Hidalgo County homes break down as 5% utility gas, 91% electric, 3% propane and under 1% wood. Most homes here heat with gas or electricity, so cooking and electrical faults are the likelier fire sources. Even a contained kitchen fire can send soot through the ductwork to every room.
Fire and smoke cleanup: first stepsCoverage
Calls connect to restoration companies that work across Hidalgo County. The largest communities by population:
Population from ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Townships and unincorporated areas are covered too.
Nearby
Hidalgo gets more pipe-freeze nights than any of its neighbors. It also has the most heavy-rain days in its area. Brooks County has the oldest housing nearby, with 60% of homes built before 1980.
By the numbers
| Factor | Hidalgo | Texas median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homes built before 1960 | 4.3% | 20% | 224 of 232 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 18% | 46% | 221 of 232 |
| Homes built 2000 or later | 49% | 26% | 16 of 232 |
| Manufactured or mobile homes | 14% | 13% | 114 of 232 |
| Vacant homes | 12% | 17% | 161 of 232 |
| Wood or propane heat | 2.5% | 6.5% | 197 of 232 |
| Nights at 20°F or colder | 0/yr | 3/yr | 205 of 232 |
| Days with 1 inch+ of rain | 6.5/yr | 7.8/yr | 136 of 232 |
| Freeze-thaw days | 2/yr | 27/yr | 227 of 232 |
| Muggy nights (65°F+) | 220/yr | 129/yr | 3 of 232 |
Rank 1 is the highest value. Bars run from the lowest to the highest Texas county; the tick marks the median; orange means higher water damage risk than the median, green means lower.
Questions
Peak risk months in Hidalgo County: freezing from midwinter, heavy rain in May, June and September.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2024 5-year estimates (2020-2024); weather from NOAA nClimGrid-Daily county averages (EpiNOAA), 2015–2024, averaged across the county; county boundaries from Census TIGER. Reviewed 2026-10-21. Methodology